Awww, that's lovely. Stef shoots a speculative look in Telumë's direction. He's seemed - different from Leareth - on the few occasions we've spoken, but it's not like I knew Leareth very well. 

I think he's really really different from Leareth. Part of that is probably that he - lost something - it'll be really interesting once my father figures out that artifact he speculated about that gives him all his memories of all his lives - but I think by now at least half of it is that he gained something. He doesn't have to be ruthless and paranoid and distant to accomplish his goals anymore.

Right, it's kind of a whole different world, isn't it? Van's changed too. I do think he'd have most of the missing information by now, in terms of things he forgot, he has records. Van said he's spent a bunch of time reviewing them and it's easier because he has that perfect-memory artifact for it. Although I guess that still loses something, compared to having lived it. 

It's - a lot more like Valinor. No real problems you have to be a hero about, just lots you have to keep a smile on your face for.

I have no idea how long it'll take my father but I think it'll still - add something. Especially from the early lives he doesn't have much from.

That makes sense. Anyway, I wish both of you all the best, truly. And Stef goes back to talking out loud, about the weather and the gardens and teasing Telumë with a song-snippet he's improvising on the spot, this one not about war-heroics but rather about kissing babies and dedicating new buildings and all the activities of a well-liked peacetime leader. 

He decides to solve the puzzle of whether to bother Jisa by waiting for Telumë to meet her kids, and then sending her the inevitable adorable image of them playing together. 

Jisa is momentarily caught off guard by this and unsure how to respond! It's not that hard to come up with conversation where her children are involved, though. :Aren't they lovely? They've been so excited for you and Telumë to visit, they were pestering me incessantly these last few days: 

What, really? Our reputation for sitting on the ground making illusions has spread this far? That is good news, that suggests by my calculations that by next year we'll be clamored-for in Jkatha. 

Stef said you were worried I'd be angry. I'm not. We were all doing our best. Relatedly, I apologize for doing my best to murder you.

Jisa giggles. (And is irritated with herself, she's tried so hard to break the nervous-giggle habit). :Stef was so impressed with that murder attempt, you know. And mad, but he said it was very masterful. Anyway: 

He made it very difficult for me. And if he'd been better at that Maitimo wouldn't be exiled from his whole world but - that's not anyone's fault. 

How are you and Treven?

:Really well! He's a good King. It's too bad that Randi won't be coming back anytime soon, but - Treven's doing fine. Everyone likes him. He's very likeable as a person. And we're rebuilding and all the dead people are coming back. This is going to be a good year: 

I think so too.

:Well, what's your favourite thing about the new city up north? Does it have a permanent name yet, people were calling it 'Telumë's city' but he hates that so it's mostly just 'the city', which is fine as long as there's only one big city but there'll be more eventually: 

This is what you need three quarreling linguistics guilds for, they'd never let a city slide into being called 'City' or something. I like the icebergs, they're so pretty to watch from a cozy balcony within the dome.

:Oh, yes, that's gorgeous. There's that one restaurant up in the tower with the entire wall that's just a big window...: Jisa can gossip for a few paragraphs more about the city. :Not sure how long you're staying: she adds, :but you should join us for supper if you have time. We could invite Karis as well, have all the children there...: 

I am sure we have time for that.

:Amazing!: 

So they can have dinner with Treven and Jisa and Vanyel and Stef and Karis and the children a few nights later. The conversation inevitably ends up mostly about kids. They stay in Haven for around another week, so that everyone who's just come back from the dead and wants to meet Telumë can do so. 

(Telumë has pretty mixed feelings about this! Most of the people are grateful and want to thank him, and he still feels like he instead owes them an apology for murdering them in the first place, but he goes with it.)

It's a nice visit and he's glad they went, but he's also relieved when it's time to head back north. 

I think thanking you is a - better narrative for them. The world now being run by the conquerors who killed your family is terrifying, the world now being run by the heroes who avenged and then retroactively saved them is reassuring. 

Hug. 

It'd bother me too, though.

Hug. I know. It makes sense, just - I do not have to like what was necessary, to reach the point where we are now. I had such hopes it could go differently... But at least they are back, and with almost all of themselves and their memories, that is something. 

And they can settle back into their routine in the still-nameless city. 

And one day a few weeks later Telumë gets a burst of complicated emotions - there's happiness and stress and avoidance and resentment and grief -

He's in the middle of a city council meeting but this seems worth interrupting it for. Maitimo? Is something wrong? 

Huh? No, good - letter from my mother, she and my father are back.

Oh. That fits. I am very glad to hear that. ...Do you wish to talk about it? I can wrap up this meeting in half an hour. 

Maybe this evening, but don't rush through your work on my account.